The last article [of this issue], “Ignatius of Loyola and C.S Lewis in Dialogue on Discernment” by Ramon Mikhail Paulo Nicdao, juxtaposes the teachings of the Jesuit founder and known “Master of Discernment” in The Spiritual Exercises with the insights embedded in the great English novelist’s The Screwtape Letters. In this interesting analysis, Nicdao even goes on to imagine a battle between the demon Wormwood, mentored by his uncle, Screwtape on the one hand, and Ignatius on the other, over the soul of the Patient in the four turning points of his life. Here he shows how Ignatius’ “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits,” drawn from his own experiences of spiritual struggle, effectively combats the diabolic tactics being taught by Screwtape to Wormwood. He concludes with a brief treatment on how literary narrative belonging to the first level or order of language that is “rich in symbols, metaphors, and images” complements the second level or order of language to which the elaboration of theology and doctrine belongs, and will hopefully help one to arrive at the third level or order of language which is that of encounter with Mystery.

